From April 11-26, Capital will be celebrating 40 years of jazz with its 22nd annual Jazz and World Music Festival. This three-week event will honor the jazz studies program, founded in 1976 by Ray Eubanks, who will be conducting some of the performing ensembles.
The program was initially started by students who had a desire to perform jazz music. Groups of students had formed in practice rooms after-hours to work on their craft and eventually sought out Eubanks for assistance. Professor Wilbur E. Crist caught wind of these secret meetings and decided to create what was then called a stage band.
“Jazz ensemble stemmed from [stage band],” professor of music Lou Fischer said. “Improv, theory… [etc.] came after that.”
After the creation of stage band, the jazz studies major was recognized.
“Part of my job when I got hired was to create a festival,” Fischer said of the beginning of his journey here at Capital twenty two years ago.
The festival includes performances by many different jazz ensembles on campus. In order to be a part of one of these ensembles, students must audition but are not required to be a jazz studies major.
When the festival first began in 1994, the ensembles had about 20 members each. Today, each ensemble averages around 90 participants.
Each year, a jazz ensemble invitational is held on campus. During this event, middle and high school, collegiate, and community jazz ensembles within a multi-state region are invited to come and play alongside Capital’s own ensembles.
“It’s a recruiting tool,” Fischer said. “[Students] not only get to perform together and see where they fit, but they get to audition for a lot of [professors].”
This year the invitational will take place on Friday, April 15. Because this year’s festival will be highlighting 40 years of jazz, the invitational will have a special addition, in the form of notable alumni jazz musicians who have gone on to do great things in the music field.
One example is Matt Billingslea, from the class of 2001. Bilingslea played with country trio Lady Antebellum and is currently the drummer for country-pop sensation Taylor Swift.
Attending alumni hail from the class of 1965 all the way through to the class of 2015. Each alumni has been invited to attend an exclusive Jazz Division 40th Anniversary Alumni Social on Saturday, April 26.
Current students will also be participating in the festival. Juniors Marty Quinn and Rachel Spencer are part of the opening act on the first day, both performing the first of two recitals they are responsible for.
Spencer started out as a music education major, while Quinn was a vocal major. Both changed to jazz studies after hearing and seeing all of the wonderful things that can be done through performing jazz.
“[The program] is a very freeing place for a musician,” Spencer said.
Upon graduation, performance majors are encouraged to consider higher education in order to begin making names for themselves in the industry. Fischer spent 25 years on the road performing before settling at Capital.
“[Now I play] whenever I want,” Fischer said.
All students and community members alike are encouraged to experience this festival. Most events are free and open to the public and will showcase all of the amazing things that jazz music is capable of.
A full schedule of events, including dates and times, can be found at capital.edu/jazz-and-world-music-festival/.
